TIME CAPSULE 1949 — Although times of war and civil unrest can have devastating consequences, sometimes there can be a small amount of good that comes out once the fighting is over.

One such example would be the forming of the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on April 4, 1949. According to History.com, NATO was established by 12 Western nations: the United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Canada and Portugal.

Over the years, countries have come and gone. France left in 1966, but West Germany, Greece and Turkey joined.

According to NATO’s official website, it is currently an alliance of 29 North American and European countries.

It said, “the fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means.” It’s primary function in today’s world has been peacekeeping and, if conflicts are past that point, crisis management.

For example, less than 24 hours after the towers fell in New York on September 11, 2001, NATO declared that the attack was, “an attack against all NATO member countries within the terms of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.” They have since been assisting the U.S. in its fight against terrorism.

NATO’s website said, “Terrorism poses a direct threat to the security of the citizens of NATO countries, and to international stability and prosperity. It is a persistent global threat that knows no border, nationality or religion and is a challenge that the international community must tackle together.

NATO’s work on counter-terrorism focuses on improving awareness of the threat, developing capabilities to prepare and respond, and enhancing engagement with partner countries and other international actors.”

In October, 2001, NATO launched it’s first military action under an Article 5 operation called, “Operation Eagle Assist.” From October, 2001, to May, 2002, NATO sent seven AWACS radar aircrafts to help patrol the airspace over the U.S.

However, the 9/11 terrorist attacks were not the only time NATO was utilized for crisis management. The NATO website states, “NATO is a crisis management organisation that has the capacity to undertake a wide range of military operations and missions. Approximately 18,000 military personnel are engaged in NATO missions around the world, managing often complex ground, air and naval operations in all types of environment.”

Currently, NATO is involved in crisis management operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean.

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com

TIME CAPSULE 1949 — Although times of war and civil unrest can have devastating consequences, sometimes there can be a small amount of good that comes out once the fighting is over.

One such example would be the forming of the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on April 4, 1949. According to History.com, NATO was established by 12 Western nations: the United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Canada and Portugal.

Over the years, countries have come and gone. France left in 1966, but West Germany, Greece and Turkey joined.

According to NATO’s official website, it is currently an alliance of 29 North American and European countries.

It said, “the fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means.” It’s primary function in today’s world has been peacekeeping and, if conflicts are past that point, crisis management.

For example, less than 24 hours after the towers fell in New York on September 11, 2001, NATO declared that the attack was, “an attack against all NATO member countries within the terms of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.” They have since been assisting the U.S. in its fight against terrorism.

NATO’s website said, “Terrorism poses a direct threat to the security of the citizens of NATO countries, and to international stability and prosperity. It is a persistent global threat that knows no border, nationality or religion and is a challenge that the international community must tackle together.

NATO’s work on counter-terrorism focuses on improving awareness of the threat, developing capabilities to prepare and respond, and enhancing engagement with partner countries and other international actors.”

In October, 2001, NATO launched it’s first military action under an Article 5 operation called, “Operation Eagle Assist.” From October, 2001, to May, 2002, NATO sent seven AWACS radar aircrafts to help patrol the airspace over the U.S.

However, the 9/11 terrorist attacks were not the only time NATO was utilized for crisis management. The NATO website states, “NATO is a crisis management organisation that has the capacity to undertake a wide range of military operations and missions. Approximately 18,000 military personnel are engaged in NATO missions around the world, managing often complex ground, air and naval operations in all types of environment.”

Currently, NATO is involved in crisis management operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean.

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com

For many years, the Keene State College newspaper played practical jokes on its readers in celebration of April Fools Day. The images pictured above were taken from various past issues of The Equinox and represent some examples of what was jokingly published by the student organization.

For many years, the Keene State College newspaper played practical jokes on its readers in celebration of April Fools Day. The images pictured above were taken from various past issues of The Equinox and represent some examples of what was jokingly published by the student organization.

TIME CAPSULE 1870 — Throughout our nation’s history, amendments have been added to our constitution in attempts to evolve and grow as a society. One such amendment was officially adopted on March 30, 1870.

Pulled from wikimedia commons

That amendment, the 15th to be ratified by the U.S., made it possible for African American men to vote. However, the amendment also cleared a path for members of other discriminated people to vote as well. The amendment itself states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

According to Politico.com, after the adoption of the 15th amendment, there were many celebrations in black communities and many abolitionist societies disbanded shortly afterward because they thought their work was done. African Americans now had all the rights they needed and no longer needed federal protection.

President Ulysses S. Grant said the amendment “completes the greatest civil change and constitutes the most important event that has occurred since the nation came to life.” Many who had helped push the amendment through the ratification process now also believed that their work was done.

History has proven that those who believed that the plight of the black people was resolved were wrong. Yes, they gained the ability to vote, but suffrage is only a part of equality, not the defining factor.

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com

TIME CAPSULE 1870 — Throughout our nation’s history, amendments have been added to our constitution in attempts to evolve and grow as a society. One such amendment was officially adopted on March 30, 1870.

Pulled from wikimedia commons

That amendment, the 15th to be ratified by the U.S., made it possible for African American men to vote. However, the amendment also cleared a path for members of other discriminated people to vote as well. The amendment itself states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

According to Politico.com, after the adoption of the 15th amendment, there were many celebrations in black communities and many abolitionist societies disbanded shortly afterward because they thought their work was done. African Americans now had all the rights they needed and no longer needed federal protection.

President Ulysses S. Grant said the amendment “completes the greatest civil change and constitutes the most important event that has occurred since the nation came to life.” Many who had helped push the amendment through the ratification process now also believed that their work was done.

History has proven that those who believed that the plight of the black people was resolved were wrong. Yes, they gained the ability to vote, but suffrage is only a part of equality, not the defining factor.

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com

TIME CAPSULE 1973 — After many years of military intervention in the Vietnam War,  protesters across the nation finally got what they wanted. Their troops came home.

When President Nixon took office in January, 1969, he vowed to listen to what the people wanted and end the war in Vietnam. As the U.S. has seen in its own history, a nation which is divided can be extremely hard to reconcile. It would be another four years before concrete, governmental action would bring change to the front.

Pulled from wikimedia commons

On March 29, 1973, the last of the U.S. troops left Vietnam and were homeward bound. The clear and definite end to the war came about through the signing of the Paris Peace Accords (PPA), according to “The Vietnam War,” a website dedicated to providing facts, questions and timelines related to the conflict in Vietnam. Although the ultimate goal was peace, the road to signing the PPA was paved with death and destruction which were heavily protested in the U.S., such as Nixon’s violent plan to end the war, known as the Tet offensive in 1968.

Through the Tet offensive, a massive, multi-year bombing campaign to stomp-out the Viet Cong and other military movements in Vietnam, there were countless civilian lives lost at the hands of U.S. troops. News of these deaths, along with information leaked in the Pentagon Papers about the U.S.’s plan to handle the aggression in Vietnam, sparked a call for peace.

In last week’s edition of The Equinox, there was an article about the history of the teach-in as a form of peaceful protest in the Time Capsule section. In that article, it is learned that the teach-in, a practice used at Keene State College in recent years, began as a way for professors and students in higher education to take a stand on the war in Vietnam in a peaceful way. Instead of regular classes, students were free to attend a multitude of peaceful rallies and workshops about what was happening overseas and what to do about it.

The main piece of legislation that brought about the effect many people were hoping for was the PPA, which was signed in January, 1973. Although a decision was finally met, negotiations of peace had begun in Paris several years earlier. According to “The Vietnam War,” multiple stalemates prevented the discussions from really getting anywhere, especially when each faction would employ a (temporarily) successful military strategy and believe that time was on their side and they just had to wait-out the other groups. Nixon, growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of agreement, ordered his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to begin holding separate, secret meetings with a member of the North Vietnamese politburo Le Duc Tho in August 1969. After a few more years of talking, Kissinger and Tho revealed their draft of the PPA in October, 1972. Although South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu was extremely upset that negotiations of peace had been happening without his involvement, he eventually agreed to the terms after Nixon applied some pressure, pledging U.S. assistance, should North Vietnam attempt to break the treaty.

According to “The Vietnam War,” an agreement was met between several military factions: the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (PRG), the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and the United States. The main agreements of the treaty were: “An in-place ceasefire between North and South Vietnamese forces began at 8:00 on January 28, 1973. When the ceasefire was in effect, U.S.  troops had sixty days to withdraw all of their forces. Simultaneously, both side had to release all their war prisoners. South Vietnam and PRG would negotiate a political settlement which would allow South Vietnamese people to decide their own political future. Reunification of Vietnam was to be ‘carried out step by step through peaceful means.’”

Although the PPA was not followed exactly, and there were violations on both sides, it was largely effective in ending the war in Vietnam. Kissinger and Le Duc Tho were celebrated around the world for their pivotal part in ending the war. They were actually both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts, but neither man chose to accept it.

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com

TIME CAPSULE 1973 — After many years of military intervention in the Vietnam War,  protesters across the nation finally got what they wanted. Their troops came home.

When President Nixon took office in January, 1969, he vowed to listen to what the people wanted and end the war in Vietnam. As the U.S. has seen in its own history, a nation which is divided can be extremely hard to reconcile. It would be another four years before concrete, governmental action would bring change to the front.

Pulled from wikimedia commons

On March 29, 1973, the last of the U.S. troops left Vietnam and were homeward bound. The clear and definite end to the war came about through the signing of the Paris Peace Accords (PPA), according to “The Vietnam War,” a website dedicated to providing facts, questions and timelines related to the conflict in Vietnam. Although the ultimate goal was peace, the road to signing the PPA was paved with death and destruction which were heavily protested in the U.S., such as Nixon’s violent plan to end the war, known as the Tet offensive in 1968.

Through the Tet offensive, a massive, multi-year bombing campaign to stomp-out the Viet Cong and other military movements in Vietnam, there were countless civilian lives lost at the hands of U.S. troops. News of these deaths, along with information leaked in the Pentagon Papers about the U.S.’s plan to handle the aggression in Vietnam, sparked a call for peace.

In last week’s edition of The Equinox, there was an article about the history of the teach-in as a form of peaceful protest in the Time Capsule section. In that article, it is learned that the teach-in, a practice used at Keene State College in recent years, began as a way for professors and students in higher education to take a stand on the war in Vietnam in a peaceful way. Instead of regular classes, students were free to attend a multitude of peaceful rallies and workshops about what was happening overseas and what to do about it.

The main piece of legislation that brought about the effect many people were hoping for was the PPA, which was signed in January, 1973. Although a decision was finally met, negotiations of peace had begun in Paris several years earlier. According to “The Vietnam War,” multiple stalemates prevented the discussions from really getting anywhere, especially when each faction would employ a (temporarily) successful military strategy and believe that time was on their side and they just had to wait-out the other groups. Nixon, growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of agreement, ordered his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to begin holding separate, secret meetings with a member of the North Vietnamese politburo Le Duc Tho in August 1969. After a few more years of talking, Kissinger and Tho revealed their draft of the PPA in October, 1972. Although South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu was extremely upset that negotiations of peace had been happening without his involvement, he eventually agreed to the terms after Nixon applied some pressure, pledging U.S. assistance, should North Vietnam attempt to break the treaty.

According to “The Vietnam War,” an agreement was met between several military factions: the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (PRG), the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and the United States. The main agreements of the treaty were: “An in-place ceasefire between North and South Vietnamese forces began at 8:00 on January 28, 1973. When the ceasefire was in effect, U.S.  troops had sixty days to withdraw all of their forces. Simultaneously, both side had to release all their war prisoners. South Vietnam and PRG would negotiate a political settlement which would allow South Vietnamese people to decide their own political future. Reunification of Vietnam was to be ‘carried out step by step through peaceful means.’”

Although the PPA was not followed exactly, and there were violations on both sides, it was largely effective in ending the war in Vietnam. Kissinger and Le Duc Tho were celebrated around the world for their pivotal part in ending the war. They were actually both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts, but neither man chose to accept it.

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com

Throughout history women have been discriminated against in many aspects of societal life, and athletics is no exception. Although there is a long-standing history of women participating in recreational athletics, it was not until the passing of Title IX as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 that women began to participate in competitive sports.

Pulled from Wikimedia Commons

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity which receives federal funding. Not only did it open doors for female student athletes, it also shattered the stigma that women could not be both academic and athletic.

The Sport Journal cited, in an article titled “The History of Women in Sport prior to Title IX,” facts from 100 years prior to the passing of Title IX. The article states, “Horseback riding for pleasure, showboating, and swimming became fashionable, but women were not encouraged to exert themselves. Such physical activity for a woman was thought to be especially hazardous because during menstruation she was ‘periodically weakened.’” It also stated that, “Both muscular and brain labor must be reduced at the onset of menstruation.”

In the early 1900s, the Sport Journal publication said women began to form athletic clubs for activities such as archery, bowling, croquet and tennis but they were mostly informal. Women divisions of collegiate sports also began to form but they were widely unrecognized because the competitions were mostly intramural rather than extramural. For years, women clamored at chances to participate in intercollegiate competitions.

Although many women were forced into recreational clubs, a few managed to break into the spotlight. One of those women was Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Zaharias actively competed in basketball, track and field and golf competitions and was known as the greatest athletes of the 20th century according to Encyclopædia Britannica. In the 1930s, not only was she part of the women’s All-American basketball team but she also competed in the track and field events at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. She took gold for the 800-meter hurdles and the javelin throw and silver in the high jump.

Pulled from Wikimedia Commons

After years of sparse competitive play, women finally broke out into the limelight of athletics during the second world war. In the 1940s, men from across the country left their homes to fight in the war, leaving gaps in many industries to be filled by women. Many are familiar with the character “Rosie the Riveter,” whose strength and solidarity encouraged women to enter into the workforce, but factories weren’t the only new place women could be found. In 1943 the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was founded in an effort to replace the regular baseball league while the men were at war. Over 600 women joined the league and their legacy was exemplified in the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.” After the war, when the league was disbanded, support for women athletes had grown enough to spread female athletic competitions. This support grew through the ‘50s and ‘60s until, in 1969, there were finally national championships for gymnastics and track and field. Swimming, badminton, and volleyball were added to the schedule in 1970 and in 1972, basketball was included.

In 1976, a, editorial by Kathie Neff in the Nashua Telegraph spoke highly of women’s changing role in athletics but also pointed out the shortcomings and stereotypes which persisted in health clubs. She pointed out that the focus of most women’s athletic programs was to “shape up” rather than condition their muscles or actually get fit, implying that it was more important for a woman to look good rather than actually be healthy. Neff not only sees this stereotype of the “weak woman” evident in athletics but in the realm of employment as well. Many women were not hired into positions which require physical activity. The example Neff uses is the police force. Women were not often hired as officers because it was not thought that they could handle themselves if faced with a large attacker on the beat, but Neff points out that with specific training, women could actually be at an advantage in an altercation with a large man.

Neff concludes her article with a quote that still rings true for women today and really speaks to their potential and need for equality. She said, “Women’s bodies are not merely convenient housing for their internal organs, Nor are they the cosmetic afterthought of the Great Creator. They are useful, powerful instruments, and, in that regard, not all that different from men’s.”

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com